Winners and losers from the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Atlanta Falcons

The Buffalo Bills pulled it off, folks. Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons and arguably the best offense in the NFL only solidified the Bills as a legitimate playoff contender. With a few bumps along the way, the Bills found a way to get it done in a hostile environment.

Winners

S Micah Hyde
Hyde had the best game of his short Buffalo Bill career. He tallied two interceptions, with one coming late in the game while Atlanta was in the Bills territory to help Buffalo solidify the victory. Hyde also added 7 total tackles to his impressive Sunday afternoon. He has brought veteran leadership to a Bills secondary that had a big question mark hanging over their head to start the season. So far, the group has shut down every naysayer.

K Stephen Hauschka
#Hauschmoney was on fire once again and sealed the deal with two late 50+ yard field goals. Hauschka is now 4-for-4 on kicks over 50 yards through four games which is tied for the Bills’ franchise record in an entire season. If it wasn't for him drilling clutch kicks, the outcomes of the last 2 wins could've been in question. Hauschka is earning that hefty contract he signed in the offseason.

TE Charles Clay
Clay reeled in 5 catches for 112 yards on his busy Sunday. A couple of throws on a dime from Tyrod Taylor helped his production. Clay posted a 100-yard game for the first time since Week 4 of the 2015 season making Sunday the 2-year anniversary of that game. Clay has been the most targeted pass catcher for the Bills this year its paying off for him, Tyrod Taylor, and the Bills.

Losers

DT Marcell Dareus

Dareus didn't necessarily have a bad game, but his lack of snaps has his value to the team in question. Jerel Worthy, who wreaked havoc in the backfield throughout his return, Cedric Thornton, and Kyle Williams have been consistent in their play, proving that Dareus isn't as needed as he was first thought to be. Dareus has been accused of not buying into the new regime, despite what Sean McDermott has said, the relationship between Dareus and coaches is still in question.

WR Zay Jones

It’s tough putting a rookie who has struggled on this list, but his drops are hard to ignore. Jones dropped a crucial pass down the sideline that forced the Bills to punt and gave the Falcons chance to score. Jones has struggled with drops this season and the Bills could be 4-0 if he was able to haul in the highly-debated pass against Carolina. Jones and Taylor just don't look to be on the same page, only time and repetition can fix that. Even when Taylor hits Jones, he’s shown a case of the yips.